babydoctor's Profile

I rarely say I'm a good cook, because it sounds like bragging. But most of my family and friends, including my father who was a restaurant critic for 12 years, tell me I'm the best cook they know. And I love Kraft mac and cheese and regularly keep a box of the three cheese and shells on hand. You'll find Taco Bell packets in the seats of my old car. I make a family recipe for tacos that my southern grandmother used to make that involves iceberg lettuce. My Italian grandmother regularly used dried basil. No one (NO ONE) can tell me that noting processed foods in the pantry or a taste for the low-brow is the mark of a bad cook, or even someone without taste. Maybe I'm slow on the uptake, but the last time I checked, low-brow foods were very much an "in" fad. Using ketchup and Coca Cola to make sauces are considered au courant. There's no place for snobbery in cooking.That being said: Kraft grated parmesean. That's a bad sign.

Great list, kathryn. The other thing I was thinking is that some of these restaurants (the tapas places, maybe?) are kind of an experience meant to be shared. Then again, a place like Babbo is so freaking loud, its not like you would be having a decent conversation any way, so may as well hit is solo. Thoughts?

My husband and I are both medical residents, and as such, our schedules often don't overlap, and we eat a lot of dinners alone. While he's content to throw together a turkey sandwich night after night, I find myself getting sick of the take out options in my neighborhood, and I'm not always up for cooking. I was wondering where my fellow Manhattanites turn when faced with this dilemma?

The title of the post is "in Manhattan." I have no interest in trekking out to Queens or the Bronx. Not only do I value personal safety, but I'd like to limit the amount of time it takes me to get a taco to under an hour, round trip.

I live in Chelsea, I've been to the taco truck on 14th St and 8th Ave, and frankly, their tortillas SUCK. And they give you old-ass limes. I lived in southern California for a short time, and unfortunately it has made me a taco snob. I trekked down to Soho for La Esquina, and the scene was lame, and again, the tortillas didn't have that soft, toothsome texture of a fresh tortilla. The Tehuitzingo deli in Hell's Kitchen was almost there, but still, sub par tortillas. I'm starting to lose hope. Are there any places in this godforsaken cityin which I can satisfy my craving?

Agreed. This is a daily Manhattan dilemma. I try to achieve zen. Prices are about equal, but it is nice to have all these quality products in one place. And as an Italian girl, it does tug at the heartstrings. I guess you pay for that convenience.

Wish I could give you a better idea of the volume/weight that you get for that price, but it does kinda look like a quart-sized ice cream container.

And to all you tourists who took offense, my apologies. It's not fair for daily shoppers to be surrounded my meandering hordes, just like its unfair for tourists to be jousled by those in a hurry. I just regret that the planners of Eataly didn't plan a little better to minimize the annoyances for both groups.

Do you live in Manhattan? Do you really need me to describe a tourist to you? Loud. Flash photography. Slower than molasses in winter walking pace. Also, these people could in fact be "local" and still be "tourists" in the sense that they are there to wander, stare, and "experience" Eataly, which is fine, I just which those of us who are there to buy groceries didn't have to wade through the melee.

Overpriced and WAY too crowded. Yet the staff is uber-friendly, I usually spot 1-2 celeb chefs every time I walk in, and its on my walk home from work. And you can buy Pat Lafrieda duck fat by the quart. I just wish the eating areas were more separate from the shopping areas. I hate having to wade through tourists when I'm buying my groceries.

Always, always Genos. The meat isn't as good, but the bread is waaay better. Also, they have a nuclear hot sauce (which I limit to three drops per sandwich, That stuff is lethal!). A cheesesteak (wiz with, obv) is too creamy, fatty and bland without that hot sauce spice.

I knew I would get a "please clarify" question. I just didn't want to be overly-specific to start out.

Its a bunch of girls who (likely) will eat salad or small plates or something like that (I, on the other hand, tend to prefer heartier fare), and tend towards plenty of lady-friendly drinking availability (though I would love to do an evening devoted to rye whiskey or something equally food-nerdy, I don't think its exactly their cup of tea).

Price wise, I was just trying to avoid $30+ per entree type places. We're all in our mid to late 20's, so we would prefer to avoid a frat scene or an old-folks home.

5 of my friends are coming into the city for my bachelorette party tomorrow night. I need a restaurant that actually TAKES reservations and isn't prohibitively expensive. And has availability for 5 people for tomorrow night. I know this is a tall order. I live in Chelsea, but it can be west or east side. Would like to keep it downtown though. (Nothing in the upper anythings). Anybody?